


Raijinshuu appreciation week 2016

by ClutteredHeadspace



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Raijinshuu - Freeform, Team Dynamics, raijinshuu appreciation, thunder legion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-06-09 16:52:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6915358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClutteredHeadspace/pseuds/ClutteredHeadspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>* Day 1(May 20th): The Leader of the Tribe<br/>* Day 2(May 21th): He who can see your soul<br/>* Day 3(May 22th): Their Fairy Queen<br/>* Day 4(May 23th): Childhood/younger years<br/>* Day 5(May 24th): Magics<br/>* Day 6(May 25th): The Tribe’s shenanigans</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leader of the Tribe

**Author's Note:**

> So I love the Thunder Legion but I've realized that I think of them as a group so much that it's actually hard to write them as individuals. This first chapter is sort of a test-drive of the group. Since this week fell during exams for me things will be posted slightly behind the date's in the summary.

**Day 1: (May 20) - The Leader of the Tribe**

****

_One beer_

                “You!” Bickslow grinned at the sudden appearance of an accusing finger in front of his face.

                “Me?” he parried, far too gleefully for someone with an irate gentleman in his personal space. Said gentleman was older, hard around the edges with stringy grey hair hanging in rain tangled cords around his head.

                “Yes you!”  the speaker snarled back crowding in closer to the Seith mages wide chest. Bickslows grin spread for a moment and his tongue lolled, tasting the rain still falling heavily around them.

                “Couldn’t be.” He responded in a playful sing-song voice, finishing off a rhyme that only he seemed to hear. Bickslows ever present Tikii dolls whizzed around overhead gleefully chanting their masters last words apparently in on his little joke. The old man simply ground his teeth together and drew his hands into fists, a common reaction to Bickslows presence.

                “You and your team were supposed to save our town, not finish demolishing it!” the man’s outrage didn’t’ have much impact thanks to the water dripping off the point of his nose. Bickslow simply tilted his head curiously at the accusation.

                “Oh. Well I suppose we could fetch another monster to replace the one we took care of for you.” Bickslow pursed his lips as though considering how to go about doing that.

                “What?! Don’t be ridiculous. I want compensation! You buffoons took out my shop. I’ll be ruined now, my inventory was irreplaceable!” Bickslow scratched his head and looked the man up and down.

                “So, why are you talking to me?” confused by the question and already growing bored with the conversation.

                “Because you’re obviously the leader of this little tribe of miscreants.” Evergreen nearly doubled over laughing where she was leaning against a nearby tree while Freed had been bandaging her ribs.

                “You think, ow, oh Mavis, ow. You think he’s the leader?” she struggled to exclaim between gasps of laughter and pain. Freed gave a long suffering sigh as he tsked under his breath at her waiting for her to settle down again.

                “Well of course.” The old man argued with her, frowning at her rather scandalous post battle apparel. “A man like him wouldn’t follow a woman or a pretty boy.” He dismissed causally. This time Bickslow joined in with Evergreens uncontrollable laughter.

_Two Beer_

                “You must be proud.” The low tenor teased Evergreen’s ear and she turned to study the lean, well dressed man arranged on the barstool beside her. Taking in the man’s casual confident and the manicured fingers of his hands she adjusted her glasses and gave him a lingering once over.

                “What would you be referring to in particular sir?” she asked absently, gathering condensation from her glass onto her fingertip before bringing to her lips. The move practised enough to look absent and casual.

                “Well for having such an impressive team answering too you of course.” He explained tlting his chin towards the table in the corner where Laxus and Bickslow were playing and intense game of cards while Freed lounged off to the side with a book. “The Thunder-tribe is legendary in these parts, and it would take quite a woman to bring such powerful mages to Heel.” Ever chuckled and smoothed a hand over her hair as she ducked her head to watch him coyly through her lashes.

                “They can be a handful.” She agreed raising her glass to finish the chilled dregs of her dink. “Perhaps if you buy me a drink I’ll let you in on the secret.” This time her smile was bold and she watched his eyes light up as he turned and flagged down the bartender, excitement palpable, sort of like a puppy she thought. While he was distracted she risked a glance over her shoulder sending an intent look towards Freed. With his usual eerie sixth sense he glanced up and caught her eye, visible brow raised curiously. She motioned to the man beside her and licked her lips slowly. The long-haired mage studied her suitor and inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. As she turned back to collect her drink from her evenings prey the curve to her lips was indulgent. He offered his glass to her with a slight bow.

                “To women as beautiful as they are powerful.” He offered as a toast and she chuckled as she clinked her glass with his.

                “Flattered.” She purred, tipping her glass back to taste the chilled contents, vibrant green eyes lighting up as they landed on the delicate glowing purple script on the bottom of the glass.

                ‘Back before dawn Cinderella. 6/10.’ If her laughter was brighter as she lowered her glass and leaned into him as he offered a teasing pick-up line he didn’t need to know why.

_Three Beer_

                “So what are you guys going to do now?” Lucy asked curiously as Natsu forced her to join the three strange mages sitting in the back corner of the guildhall. The events of the battle royale were still fresh in her memory but something about the trio’s subdued energy and apparent isolation overcame them.  If her team was anything to go by the loyalty they must have felt towards the lightning mage must have been incredible to turn against their own guild. It was something that should be respected; Laxus was who she felt should be ashamed for taking advantage of that.

                “What do you mean?” Evergreen asked, scowling at the blonde newcomer who’d out ranked her in the beauty pagent (not that she’d been an entry anyway).

                “Well with Laxus gone who’s going to lead your team?” she asked shifting closer to Natsu, as Bickslow focused on her as well. Lucy didn’t know what reaction she’d expected but the acerbic pair dissolving into the first honest laughter she’d ever heard from them definitely wasn’t it. Glancing at Natsu hoping for an explanation she found he look just as confused as she felt. On the far end of the table Freed simply chuckled softly into drink.

_Four-_

                “It’s impressive.” Gajeel murmured absently as he straddled one of the barstools and flagged down Kianna for a drink.

                “Quite.” Pantherlily agreed settling on the bartop beside him. When the man to their left only responded with an absent hum of acknowledgement Gajeel’s teeth flashed in a dragons grin. “I mean it’s so obvious that nobody even see’s it.” He continued without looking at the man at his side, voice so soft he could have been talking to himself. Having no response to that, his companion simply refilled his empty wine glass with the bottle sitting at his elbow. The Iron dragon-slayer nodded his thanks to Kianna as she set his drink in front of him and a shot glass for the exceed. Once she’d moved on the slayer continued.

                “I think it’s the name. Everyone hears ‘Thunder Legion’ and thinks of Laxus, but even within your little group Evergreen and Bickslow could be compared to lightning. Everyone sees them and remembers them and like a real storm forget about the thunder that always follows.” This time their companion pauses with the wine halfway to his lips intrigued despite himself.

                “That’s surprising poetic Black-Steel.” The dragon slayer chuckled.

                “Spent six hours pinned down by a hell of a storm; makes a guy think about the dynamic of that power. It’s not hard to see the parallels between the lightning painting the inside your tent and Fairy Tail’s infamous legion.” That earned him a half chuckle. “People get distracted by the flash and show but really, if you can’t hear the thunder the lighting isn’t a danger to you.” Gajeel tossed back his drink and set the glass forcefully down on the bartop. “Take care of yourself Freed, they’d fall apart with out you.”

_-beer_

                “So what’s the plan?” Bickslow asked stretching out on the soft grass and dropping his head carelessly into Freed’s lap. Evergreen tsked at his behaviour as she settled herself gracefully against the Rune mages side.

                “Really Bickslow you’re impossible.” She chided as Freed raised his arm over her shoulders so she could tuck herself against him properly.

                “What makes you think there’s a plan?” Freed asked the two of them with amusement as he looked down at the tattoo’d face in his lap.

                “Because.” Bickslow answered confidently while Evergreen smirked in agreement. “Our Capitan always has a plan.” Freed chuckled and looked up, gaze drifting over the blue sky stretching out forever beyond the edge of the tree canopy.

                “Well, I hear that there’s a 3 million jewel reward in retrieving an artifact from a ruin to the south.” Evergreen grinned and pressed closer eagerly.

                “Dawn train?” she asked and Freed nodded.

                “Tickets are in your bags.” Bickslow’s tongue lolled at the confirmation excitement palpable as his babies began to play tag wildly in the branches overhead.

                “We like ruins don’t we Babies?” he told them as they echoed back “Like! Like!”

                “The usual bet?” Evergreen asked looking down at him below the edge of her glasses.

                “Of course,” the seith sounded almost insulted. “Frist one mistaken for the boss has to buy the first round.”


	2. He who can see your soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lazy day

* Day 2(May 21th): He who can see your soul

Bickslow was the clown, always loud an obnoxious with a shit eating grin that never stopped. For a man as restless and easily bored as he was it was inevitable that chaos would follow in his wake. At least, that’s what the members of Fairy Tail would tell you. Depending on what he’d been up to lately he was considered either the life of the party or a menace. When guild brawls broke out he’d be the first to throw himself into the fray, when battle broke out he’d be the first to watch your back. However even someone as high energy as the Seith mage needed times of stillness. However only the member of the Raijinsuu were entitled to see this side of the tall man.

The sun against his face was as warm as the laughter carried on the breeze as Bickslow stretched out across the park bench. He was dressed in civilian clothes, vibrant red pants and a dark gray pinstriped bunnyhug would have been overwhelming on anyone else, however with his blue dyed mohawks and tattooed face they hardly stood out. His lips curved as he listened to the fractured conversation of the other people in the park. Mothers gossiped among themselves and children shrieked with delight as they raced around.

Days like with were the Seith’s favourite, the sunshine eclipsed by the brightness of the souls around him. Constant exposure to peoples’ energy fueled him almost as much as the constant press and stimulation of their souls exhausted him. They were mesmerizing to observe though. The small wooden bodies of his babies were tucked underneath the bench and behind the darkness of his eyelids he watched their souls dance unseen amidst the trees overhead. Their every glimmer and flicker of their light was intimately familiar. The souls of the living were different then his babies, brighter, fuller. The living processed a richness that the deceased lacked.

“Mama, Mama!” the young voice was high, happy, in the safe darkness behind his eyes he watched the soft pink soul race towards a sliver laced blue. When they touched he couldn’t hide the curve that settled onto his lips as they both went gold along the edges.

Above them Pappa, his oldest baby swirled, bathing himself in the faint glimmering light that they gave off. Puppu, the youngest was darting though the shining souls of the children on the jungle gym in the centre of the park, gleefully bouncing from swing to swing, his presence mistaken for a gust of wind. Bickslow couldn’t have said how long he watched the play of colours and lights, the gray sorrows, the raging red, a thousand different drama’s painting a masterpiece around him.  It was the faint tinging of electric violet that gave away his teammates approach.

“It’s my day off Freed.” He murmured quietly and the rune mage simply hummed softly. Bickslow heard the younger man settle on the grass behind him and lean against the back of the bench, mostly hidden from the people in the park and a view of only the woods behind them.

“Mine as well.” As always Freed’s words were crisp, his voice a low tenor nobody suspected to come from his deceptively delicate frame. “Just ignore me.” Bickslow opened his eyes at the order, the coloured souls disappearing as he started up at the unobstructed sky.

“Pft, Captain, you know it doesn’t work like that.” With most people it wouldn’t have mattered how close to them he was they didn’t impede his abilities in the slightest. However his Captain was different, Freed Justine wasn’t the most powerful soul he’d ever seen but he was an un-mistakable presence. The world around him was always tinted in shades of electric violet like looking through tinted lens. Bickslow thought it was a side effect of the rune mages Écriture reacting with the energies around him. It had it’s uses but the dark light it cast the world in could sometimes be a downer.

“My apologies, a moment.” Bickslow felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as Freed’s magic shivered to life for a moment leaving only a faint ripple of it’s presence behind. “That should correct it.” Bickslow blinked as he heard the sound of paper rustling and chuckled.

“Did you come all the way out here just to read?” the silence that stretched after his question was more than enough of an answer.

“Evergreen wanted some ‘private’ time.” Bickslow could hear the blush in the other man’s voice.

“She’s doing the nasty with Elfman.”

“One would assume. I didn’t stay around to find out.” Freed muttered. Bickslow laughed and closed his eyes again slipping back into the colours behind his eyes. He could still sense Freed but whatever spell he’d used had cloaked his soul from Bickslow’s vision leaving a void where the violet should have been.

“She’d eventually turn you back to normal.” Bickslow teased and Freed huffed.

“It’s not something I want to repeat. The panty incident was scarring enough.” Bickslow grinned widely and shifted into a more comfortable position. Reaching for the void with ethereal fingers and sensing the faint fluster in the vibration of the other. Freed’s runes could only hide him from sight.

“I dunno, we all thought the purple was a good look.” Bickslow prodded, jerking as Freed tangled a hand in one of his mohawks and tugged sharply.

“Let me read.” He grumbled and the seith smiled easily, barely wincing at the reprimand. He’d never told Freed that but it had been after the panty incident that Laxus had taken to wearing purple. The boss man claimed it was because the button up shirt was classier than his fur collared sleeveless one but Bickslow didn’t buy it. Sure he wasn’t the best at reading people or understanding their motivations, he preferred souls. Souls were honest and never lied or deceived, he spent his days surrounded by that honesty, it made left the paradox with peoples behaviour baffling. However, he knew Laxus’ soul well enough to read what he was reluctant to say, Personally Bickslow figured Laxus was still so far in the closet he didn’t even know it was there but the man’s electric soul only ever settled with Freed nearby. Bickslow figured that had to count for something.

True to his word the pair of men sat in silence, comfortable in each others company without making demands. It wasn’t until the warmth on Bickslows face was starting to fade that he sensed another familiar soul walking through the park. Their glitter was different, soft pink when it glimmered what should have sparkled instead flickered in and out of existence as though tiny shards of it were constantly drifting in and out of existence.

“What brings you around Baby?” Bickslow greeted sensing the girl’s steps pause before continuing.

“Bickslow, I almost didn’t recognise you without your visor, what are you doing out here?” Lucy asked curiously.

“Tanning, visor stripes aren’t sexy you know.” He told her glibly, watching how the keys are her waist glowed white around the edges and deepened to starlight in the centre, Huh, the lion was still watching out for her. He wondered if Lucy was aware of that. He listened to her laugh as she paused near the bench.

“Hm, I can see how that could be a problem. I don’t remember seeing you at the guild today, have you been out here all day?” The seith nodded.

“Needed to recharge. Last job was a dozy.” That was a bit of a dig and Freed, he knew that the city job hadn’t been something that any of them particularly enjoyed. As a team they preferred the jobs in more isolated areas, fewer people meant they could relax.

“Hardly my fault you two acted before thinking of the consequences.” Freed muttered catching the dig. Bickslow sensed Lucy’s confusion for a moment and realised that she hadn’t seen Freed when she approached. Not very observant of her, perhaps she was too used to relying on Natsu’s enhanced senses. Sloppy.

“I heard about your last job. Evergreen turned the client to stone when he refused to pay you because of the damages right?” Bickslow laughed at the memory, watching his babies dance in excitement at the manical edge.

“Oh she was pissed. Don’t get between that woman and what she wants. She had a trip to the salon in mind with that money and there was no way she was leaving without it. Besides, we didn’t cause that much damage. We don’t have a Natsu on our team.” Lucy groaned at that.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve lost so much rent money over the years.” She confessed tiredly.

“Soul like his? That’s totally not surprising.” Bickslow chuckled only belatedly realising what he’d said when he sensed Freed tense.

“A soul like his?” Lucy asked curiously. “Right. I always forget you can see souls.” Bickslow knew that tone, sure enough Lucy followed the pattern. “What is that like?”

“Tough to explain. It’s exhausting for the most part. After all souls aren’t meant to be seen, so they’re not all the same.”

“What do you mean?” she asked curiously and he shrugged.

“You’re soft and pink but flicker in and out at the edges. Most celestial mages do, something about the contracts with your spirits binds you even at that level. Freed here,” he let his head drop to indicate the man at his back. “He’s purple traced with neon. Laxus is noisey, like a low level electric crackle and hum.”

“Huh that seems sort of fitting for him. How about Natsu and Erza?” she asked curiously and Bickslow hummed as he thought about it. Impressed by her, usually people were freaking out by now.

“Natsu’s always in motion, like watching a star burn, how hot depends on the day and his mood. Erza’s navy but leaves the taste of steel on your tongue. Definitely not my type.”

“What about yours?” Lucy asked curiously and Bickslow froze for a moment at that.

“Dunno, I can’t see it. Some sort of trade off I suppose. I bet it be sexy as hell though.” He wiggled his brows and looked at her watching her instinctive flinch away from his eyes. “Relax baby, my figure eyes are a constant effect.” He assured her and she hesitantly raised her eyes from the ground again.

“Sorry, it’s a reflex. If they’re not always on why do you wear that visor all the time?” she asked and he shrugged, thinking it was better not to mention that without it’s enchantment her soul was an aura around her, distracting him from actually seeing her.

“People get creeped out by my magic, makes it easier if they feel protected from it. Like Freed and his pretty boy bangs.” He couldn’t resist and Freed’s magic crackled, he didn’t have to look to know that his Captains face would remain unchanged.

“An eyepatch would interfere with my depth perception.” Was the retort and Bickslow watch Lucy’s cheeks puff with laughter as she covered her mouth to try and hold it in.

“Aw but you would make such a dashing pirate. I bet Lucy’s panties are wet at the idea right baby?” he asked. Rewarded by Freed sputtering at his crudeness and Lucy blushing in embarrassment.

“What? No! Why would you say something like that Bickslow?” she demanded outraged.

“The expression on your face mostly.” He answered honestly and she huffed.

“That’s not funny.” She muttered. “Anyway I’m off to the guild, I need to find a job for this week. You two take care.” She called cheerfully as she continued on her way.

“That was surprising.” Freed said once she was beyond earshot. Bickslow turned to look at him properly for the first time.

“What was?” he asked pulling a pair of tinted glasses out of the pocket of his bunnyhug and tugging lightly on the bonds with his babies so bring them back into their regular vessels.

“You’re not usually so candid about your abilities.” Bickslow shrugged as his babies flew up and settled themselves onto him and Freed. The rune mage beyond breaking eye contact to try and see Pippi who’d decided to rest atop his head ignored the dolls out of habit.

“Huh, I guess not.” He answered shrugging as Peppe and Puppu settled into the hood of his sweater. “You think Ev remembered that she was supposed to make supper tonight?” he asked and Freed sighed.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think I really want to go to the house and check either.” Bickslow laughed.

“Still scarred from catching them at it on the couch?” the seith teased watching the younger man flush beet red.

“It was horrifying.” He muttered, “I still can’t sit on the couch.” Bickslow decided not to mention that Ever had probably sullied every piece of furniture in the place.

“Tacos?” he asked instead and Freed nodded.

“I could do tacos.” Bickslows grin hurt his cheeks as he stood up and leered down at the smaller man.

“Like Laxus huh?” he teased and Freed flushed.

“Leave my straight man crush out of this.” He muttered glaring at him through the fall of his bangs. Bickslow simply laughed and draped an arm around his friend as they headed off.

“Never.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bunny_hug


	3. Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why Laxus wears purple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for my lovely Cousin. While I failed at the Raijinshuu week challenge I do intend to finish this series regardless. So slightly out of order as a thank-you to Minion Firstclass for Beta reading for me.

    The shower was overstimulating against his hypersensitive skin, and despite the warmth Freed's lean, muscled form shuddered. He could taste the steam with each inhale, feel the strike of the water against his skin. If he dared to open his eyes he could even watch the droplets splatter against the cold tile around him. However despite all of this he couldn't escape the wrongness of the situation. What should have been a chaotic splashing within the small echoing space was absolute silence. He felt his throat vibrate as he growled in frustration and squeezed his hand. The tight pull of healing skin and scabs a visceral reminder of why he was trapped in this unnatural silence. He'd been sloppy on their last job, focusing too much on containing the chaos of the battle and protecting the bystanders to realize he'd enclosed himself within the barrier rather than safely beyond it. The explosion when the lacrima facility became collateral damage in the battle had been devastating. His runes had contained it, the function for which they'd been intended, however the sonic blast had thrown him dozens of feet. The brick wall he'd been sent through hadn't been pleasant but the warmth tricking from his ears when he'd struggled to sit upright had been worse. The rest of the raijinshuu and Laxus had finished the fight while he'd sat dazed in the rubble. When the dust settled they'd started looking for him, fearing the worst when he failed to respond to their calls. Bickslow had been the one to find him, Freed only vaguely remembered staring up at his team-mate in confusion as the masked man stood in front of him. It wasn't until the larger man had crouched down and removed his mask that Freed saw that his lips were moving.  

 

     Too dazed to understand what was going on he'd sat there, cradling his arm to his chest, vaguely aware of the pain and blood coming from it though the sensations had trouble piercing the haze of his thoughts. It had been Laxus' touch, large hand heavy with power and heat on his shoulder that had brought him blinking back into focus. The rest of the team had gathered around him but still he could only watch their lips move in confusion. It had been Laxus who'd torn his tattered coat into strips and carefully bound his bleeding arm. Evergreen who'd helped him too his feet and settled his arm over her shoulders to help him walk back to the relatively clear street. He remembered a train after that, the soothing rock and motion of it lulling him to a place of darkness and sleep where the pain and silence didn't follow. Beyond that there were only brief flashes of touch and scent until he'd blinked his eyes open and started up at the soothing familiarity of Polyusica's ceiling. He was rather fond of the cranky old mage despite her brusque mannerisms. 

 

     It was the piece of parchment that she'd shoved into his face that finally explained what was going on. Temporary hearing loss. Thanks to her treatment there wouldn't be permanent damage however he would have to wait for his hearing to return normally. He'd been beating himself up for it however Bickslow had been the first to tell him, via light pen, that surprise vacations were the best vacations. Evergreen had simply shrugged at the news though the sly smile she couldn't hide gave away that she wasn't particularly bothered to be spending some extra time in magnolia. Laxus had been taciturn as usual, simply writing for Freed not to worry and get his ass to bed.

 

     That had been the last he'd seen of them as a group.

 

     While the whole team dwelt within the same house due to their diverse interests most of the time they were each off on their own. They spent months at a time in each others company on missions so when they were home they took advantage of the opportunity for personal space.  Usually Freed would have been happy about that however with the loss of his hearing the Rune mage felt unusually vulnerable and the absolute silence of the house was disturbing. Turning off the shower he gave himself only a brief wipe down with the towel before wrapping it around his waist and making his way to the kitchen. He'd woken up late, the silence of the world allowing him to at least sleep like the dead through Bickslow's usual morning chaos. His clock had told him it was noon when he'd finally blinked awake. The shower had helped but now his stomach was reminding him that he hadn't eaten in over twelve hours. It wasn't until he'd pushed open the kitchen door that he even considered that anyone else might have been home. 

 

     Someone was, and it was a sight he'd never wanted to witness. 

 

     Evergreen was naked and bent over the kitchen table while a bulky, over-muscled, equally naked Elfman Strauss had his gaze focused down where he and Ever were joined as he pounded into her. Freed only had a moment to be thankful that Ever was face down before she spotted him and panicked. Freed's hands were only a second behind her in coming up to cover his eyes. He had a brief moment to wonder why there was suddenly a breeze where the towel should have been before he stopped feeling anything. 

 

~*~

 

     "Yo Ever, Freed, Laxus! I'm home!" Bickslow's voice boomed out as he pushed open the back door of the house. Blood buzzing pleasantly below his skin and his limbs feeling lazy and heavy after hours of training.

 

     "Home! Home!" he babies chimed around him as Evergreen looked up from where she was reading the latest sorcerer's weekly on the couch with a dead-pan expression. 

 

     "I thought you and Freed trained every thursday." Her tone was cool but accusing. The Seith mage frowned at that and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his discarded shirt. 

 

     "Well yeah, sort of hard to train with a dude who can't hear anything though. Why do you ask?" Ever simply huffed and snapped the magazine sharply before she went back to reading. 

 

     "It would have been nice to have that bit of information earlier." Bickslow tilted his head, lips curving as he spotted the faintest colour high on the raijinshuu's only female member's cheeks. It had been quite awhile since he'd seen that on her face. Spending most of her time around the three males on her team had broken her of her prudish streak long ago.  He flopped onto the couch beside her and pulled the paper out of her grip. 

 

     "Aw what happened? Tell Brother Bick's all about it." he teased and she wrinkled her nose and elbowed him in the stomach, the woman never pulled punches he thought, wincing as he dropped the magazine back onto her lap. 

 

     "You reek." she muttered and Bickslow laughed. 

 

     "You're immune to my manly appeal. So what happened?" She huffed out a breath and stood up. 

 

     "Freed." she muttered and gestured for him to follow her towards the kitchen. 

 

     Standing inside the kitchen door was a impressively detailed stone statue of their Captain. Very detailed, too detailed. Bickslow let his eyes drop to the impressively perky curve of Freed's ass before noting the white towel pooled on the floor around his feet and the panicked way his arms were raised to try and cover his face. Bickslow whistled and circled around the smaller man. 

 

     "Damn Ever what did he do?" She huffed and crossed her arms around her stomach. 

 

     "Walked in when he wasn't supposed to." Bickslow turned to look at her in confusion for a moment then turned back to his stone friend and scanning the kitchen. 

 

     "Ever I have to eat in here. Were you and Elfman seriously doing the nasty in the kitchen?" 

 

     "Nobody's ever here until supper time on Thursdays!" she defended and Bickslow simply laughed. 

 

     "I'd say you two must have been quiet but honestly I've spent too many nights in hotels with thin walls not to know you better than that." 

 

     "Stuff it Mister, I know you've banged your flozzy's on every surface in the house." Bickslow grinned unrepentantly. 

 

     "Nah there's a few spots to go yet." He looked back at Freed. "So... you just going to leave him like this?"

 

     "He deserves it." 

 

     "Ever that's cruel, at least put his towel back on. Give the man some decency." Her face flushed with fury and embarrassment.

 

     "Well he shouldn't have come barging into the kitchen!"  

 

     "The dude's stone deaf." he snickered at his own turn of phrase, "Literally. There's no way he could have known you'd be here. You don't even live in the house with us anymore." She huffed. 

 

     "Not my problem. He can stay like that for all I care. I'll turn him back later." With that she turned and stormed back towards the living room.  Bickslow watched her go then turned and rested his elbow on Freed's shoulder and leaned on him thoughtfully. 

 

     "Dude you shouldn't have pissed off the Queen. You know better." He glanced over at his friend's frozen face and smirked for a moment. "However since you're here anyway I'll be nice and find something for you too wear, can't really leave you free balling in the kitchen now can we. What would Laxus think?" 

 

~*~

 

     Laxus was exhausted. He always forgot how draining a day spent at the guild-hall could be when the entire member body was in town. He'd spent half the day ignoring Natsu's obsessive challenges, and the other half listening to him nasally demand a re-match as he clutched an ice-pack to his nose and cheek. Normally it wasn't so bad but with the Old Man out of town for a guild-master meeting and Erza having left the team to their own devices to take on a solo S-class job everyone seemed to have silently declared him in charge of the pyromaniac. Usually he would have been able to count of Freed to keep the idiot off his back, or even for Bickslow to take on the kid instead just for something to do. Instead neither of them had shown up and Ever had been suspiciously absent as well. 

 

     Pushing open the kitchen's porch door he froze at the sight before him. There was a statue in his kitchen. A statue with long hair and upraised arms. A statue that was naked except for a pair of dark purple lace panties that had been pulled up over their narrow stone hips. Hips that could only belong to Freed. Freed, was naked in his kitchen, wearing purple lace panties. He was also a statue. 

 

     Laxus swallowed convulsively, wondering why he was still frozen just inside the kitchen door. Why his eyes were drawn to the narrow swatch of colour that rode along the contour of Freed's hip bone. He'd seen Freed naked before, hard to avoid it having spent a decade with the man, most of it living on the road where they slept in tents more often than beds. The underwear wasn't stone, which meant it had been put on him after the fact. Laxus tried not to think about Freed walking around their house naked as he yelled out. Knowing that the rest of the team would be in the house, they wouldn't leave Freed in this state unprotected. 

 

     "Ever! What! The! Hell! Is this?" Even as he bellowed he stalked into the kitchen, skin jumping as he prowled to the younger man who'd followed him through hell and back since they'd first met. Because he was concerned he circled the statue while he listened to the rapid click of heels and giddy skip of boots coming down the hallway, he was checking to make sure Freed was undamaged, not to check if the panties were a thong. They weren't the fabric was stretched tight across Freed's rear, the bottom of his cheeks peeking out while the lacy band teased just at the rise of his glutes. This had to have been Bickslow's doing. 

 

     "Boss!" Bickslow sounded far to pleased and cheerful as he and Ever entered the room. Ever looked embarrassed, the Seith looked smug. 

 

     "Ever, what is going on?" The woman crossed her arms and raised her chin defiantly, if she hadn't been only a hair over five-feet it might have been intimidating, however Laxus had known her too long. She was the spoiled sister he'd never asked for. 

 

     "He startled me." she explained, without a shred of remorse. Laxus raised a brow. 

 

     "How long has he been like this?" She shrugged while Bickslow leaned on Freed's shoulder. 

 

     "Mid afternoon?" She approximated and Laxus ground his teeth as he watched out of the corner of his eyes as Bickslow snapped the lacy band against Freed's hip teasingly. 

 

     "So why haven't you changed him back." She blushed and ducked her gaze away and muttered something. He didn't catch it, distracted by Bickslow's shit eating grin. "And why is he wearing those?"

 

     "These? Well I couldn't get the towel to stay wrapped around his hips and I found these. Luckily they fit or I'd have had to leave him naked." Laxus wondered if killing his own team-mates would get him kicked out of the guild again. He thought that Bickslow at least would be justifiable homicide. 

 

     "Just change him back. Last thing we need is you breaking him Bicks." Ever huffed and Bickslow stepped away carefully as the self proclaimed Fairy Queen pulled her glasses down. Her eyes glowed for a moment than suddenly cold marble softened back into cool pale flesh, with the change the waist band of the panties sank into his flesh in a way they couldn't have done on the stone. Freed jerked back as though finishing the action he'd been about to do before the enchantment. His hair swung heavy and loose over his back, as he blinked in disorientation. Shoulders dropping in relief he was about to take a step forward, obviously not realizing that they were all behind him. Bickslow reached out and tapped his shoulder. The rune mage jumped in the air in shock and whirled around braced between panic and aggression. Bickslow skipped out of reach hands raised innocently. 

 

     "Sorry. Sorry." He said forgetting already that Freed couldn't hear a thing at the moment. 

 

     "Fuck!" Freed enunciated clearly, gaze zeroing in on Evergreen. "The table Ever? My table!" Freed's tone was off, his volume too loud, or maybe he meant to shout. Laxus wasn't sure at the moment. 

 

     "You weren't supposed to be home!" Ever protested and when Freed simply scowled at her she grabbed the light pen out of her pocket and scribbled out what she'd just said. 

 

     "I wasn't- I live here- Why are you all staring?" at the end his voice dropped too soft, obviously he couldn't tell what his volume was at all. Bickslow simply caught his eye and glanced down deliberately at the Rune mages hips. Laxus wanted to tell him to stop being crude however he wasn't much better as he realized he'd been eyeing the curves behind the lace that no woman had. He blushed and looked to the side. He was exhausted and the image of his best-friend in woman's underwear just wasn't something that he wasn't emotionally prepared to deal with. Ever. Freed nearly shrieked as he realized what he was wearing and his hands immediately dropped to cover himself. "Bickslow, you're an asshole." He cursed than disappeared in a swirl of runes. When he was gone Laxus let out a breath, headache back in full force. 

 

     "Bicks, when he kills you for this I'll help him hide the body." The Seith simply grinned at him, eyes only half focused. 

 

     "Nah, Freed's not the kind of guy who'll need help." he told him with a cocky wink before strutting back to the living room now that the entertainment was over. 

 

     


End file.
